Locking means for electric meters

ABSTRACT

To prevent unauthorized access to an electric watt-hour meter, a yoke is provided to enclose the lugs at the ends of the usual Usection split ring retaining band used to fix the receptacle for the meter works such as glass bowl enclosure therefor, to the meter base. A bolt-type lock goes through four aligned holes in the lugs and in the yoke and has transversely extensible locking members standing out beyond the fourth hole to prevent withdrawal of the bolt until unlocked. An enlarged end or head on the bolt prevents movement of the bolt in one direction, and a hood on the yoke prevents access to the other end and the locking members.

United States Patent [1 1 Morse et al.

[451 Feb. 25, 1975 LOCKING MEANS FOR ELECTRIC METERS 22 Filed: Aug. 2,1973 21 Appl. No.: 384,920

[52] U.S. Cl 70/164, 24/280, 70/232, 285/410, 292/256, 292/67, 403/338[51] Int. Cl ..G01r 11/04, E05b 73/00 [58] Field of Search 24/279, 280;70/32, 164, 70/232; 285/410, 411; 292/256.67, 307 B, 325; 403/338 [56]References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 924,331 6/1909 Feola 70/32997,769 7/1911 Feola 70/32 1,594,586 8/1926 Anderson 70/18 2,003,1835/1935 Ferguson et a1. 292/307 B 2,897,569 8/1959 Kastner 24/2793,259,414 7/1966 Rothert 292/256.67 3,544,137 12/1970 Contreas et a1285/162 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 35,123 6/1929 France 292/256.67

Primary Examiner-Albert G. Craig, Jr. Attorney, Agent, or Firm--RobertK. Randall [57] ABSTRACT To prevent unauthorized access to an electricwatthour meter, a yoke is provided to enclose the lugs at the ends ofthe usual U-section split ring retaining band used to fix the receptaclefor the meter works such as glass bowl enclosure therefor, to the meterbase. A bolt-type lock goes through four aligned holes in the lugs andin the yoke and has transversely extensible locki'ng members standingout beyond the fourth hole to prevent withdrawal of the bolt untilunlocked. An enlarged end or head on the bolt prevents movement of thebolt in one direction, and a hood on the yoke prevents access to theother end and the locking members.

6 Claims, 9 Drawing Figures 2 ti-wane "Ra- PATENTED 53251975 3,867. 822

SHEEI 8 OF 2 lI'AlIln FIGS LOCKING MEANS FOR ELECTRIC METERS Thisinvention proposes to stop the theft of electric current effected byreversal or by-passing of the watthour meter or other nefarious methodswhich require access to the interior of the meter. In the commonest typeof meter, the meter works are held to their housing or base by a steelsplit ring of U-section encircling'and embracing matchingand meetingflanges on the meter and its base; or flanges on the base and on atransparent bowl enclosing the works have been similarly united. Asimple screw with a headon one end and a hole in the other has been thesole closure means for the ring, being put through aligned holes in theterminal lugs at the ends of the split ring and protected merely by awire seal. Thus the whole ring can be removed with a screw driver. Theseal is just a moral deterrent.

A secure locking device forthe common meter has not been available up tonow to combat the widespread practice of pilfering electric current.

To provide greater security against such theft of current, we havedevised the improved locking ring disclosed herein and shown in theaccompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. I shows the meter in assembled working relation on its base orhousing, with the novel locking yoke securing the split ring againstunauthorised removal.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged plan view of the yoke and adjacent portions of thesplit ring shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is an end elevation of the yoke of FIGS. 1 and 2, without thelocking bolt.

FIG. 4 is a side elevation of the parts shown in FIG. 2.

FIG. 5 is a vertical section on line 55 of FIG. 4. FIG. 6 is a verticalsection on line 6-6 of FIG. 5. FIG. 7 shows the U-section split lockingring in plan. FIG. 8 is a transverse section of the ring of FIG. 7 online 8--8 of FIG. 7.

FIG. 9 is a section on line 9-9 of FIG. 2 showing in detail the unitingof the transparent bowl of the meter works with the base or housing bymeans of the split ring.

Having reference to the drawings, the split locking ring 1 is made inU-section of fairly thick (0.060 inches) steel stock, anti-corrosionplated, and hardened for stiffness, with integral lugs 3 formed bybending the ends of the split circle radially outward after reducing theheight of the flanges of the U-section as indicated at 5 to facilitatebending the lugs outwardly to stand out nearly radially and parallel toeach other when the ring is in place on the meter with the clampingscrew 7 in place. The internal width of the U portion is such as toreceive easily the combined thickness of the portions 23, 25 0f themetal rim 13 of the glass bowl of the meter works and the flange 21 ofthe meter base when juxtaposed as shown in FIGS. 6 and 9. The

continuation of the flanges in lowered form on the lugs 3 stiffens thelugs against distortion by tamperers.

As noted, FIG. 1 shows the complete meter assembly, this being of thecommon type in which the works are mounted on a circular non-conductingplate 9 to which is secured the transparent bowl 11 of glass by themetallic rim l3 overlying the bead 15 on the rim of the bowl 1]. Themeter base or housing 17, FIG. 1, is of sheet metal, and contains thesockets (not shown) in which the symmetrically disposed contacts(notshown) project-ing from the plate 9 are engaged to complete thecircuits through the meter. This box-shaped base has a circular openingdefined by an extruded neck 19 terminating in the radially extendingflanges 21 on which the plate 9 carrying the works is mounted.

. As heretofore, the'split ring 1 unites the bowl to the flange 21 ofthe box-like base or housing 17 by embracing within its U-shaped channel16 the flange 21 on the base and the radially and axially and axiallyextending portions 23,25 of the rim 13 (FIG. 9).

In accordance with the invention, one lug 3 of the split ring 1, made asdescribed above, is formed with an extruded hole 27, necked andinternally threaded, to be engaged by clamping screw 7 loose within anopposite hole in the other lug 3. A neoprene washer 29 on the screw andbetween the two lugs prevents loss of the screw in shipmentand-handling. The conical entrance to the threaded hole 27 resultingfrom the broaching operation in forming hole 27 up proper threading ofthe screw into the opposing lug. Installation of the split ring 1 iseffected as usual by enlarging the ring manually by spreading the lugsand placing it about the rim 13 and flange 21, and inserting andtightening screw 7 in hole 27.

Further in accordance with the invention, the lugs 3 and the clampingscrew 7 are guarded against unauthorized access by a malleable cast-ironunbreakable 31 having a pocket or chamber 33 therein to receive andenclose completely the lugs 3,3 and the clamping screw 7. The interiorwalls of the chamber converge at the bottom to slightly more than thespace occupied by the lugs 3,3, as seen in FIG. 5, and holes 35 and 37are formed in its walls to receive a key-operated cylindrical 1bolt-type lock 40 such as that of our US. Pat. No.

3,714,802, which passes through holes 41 in the lugs 3,3. Radiallyextensible locking balls 43 are extruded from the shank of the bolt 40after it is passed through the far hole 37 in the yoke 31.

An integral part of the casting forms a hood 45 completely enclosing theend of bolt 40 and prevents access to the locking balls 43, and preventsthe application of hammer blows or other force to this end of this bolt,

while the head end of the bolt is sunk in the thick wall of the yoke fornearly its entire length, within hole 35, thus leaving no substantialpart of the length of bolt 40 accessible for the application of force.

To render prying force unavailing, the yoke has wings 51 of U-section toreceive the split ring 1, each extending 5 to 10 around the circuit ofthe ring. Within the channel of the U formed in each wing 51 is anintegral cross-bar 53 which forms a shoulder that effectively blocks theentry of a chisel or otherl and the yoke. Thus this sole potentiallyavailable point of attack on the improved meter lock is eliminated.

The bolt-type lock 40 being proof against picking by any means short ofreproducing its complex and costly key, the invention device has provedable to withstand all attacks short of wreckage by sledge hammertactics. Damage to the lock through tampering is met by merely replacingthe lock itself.

While we have illustrated and described one form in which the inventionmay be embodied, we are aware that many modifications may be madetherein by any person skilled in the art, without departing from thescope of the invention as expressed in the claims.

Therefore, we do not wish to be limited to the particular forms shown,or to the details of construction thereof, but

What we claim as our invention is:

1. Locking means for electric meters having in combination a base, areceptacle holding the meter works, a U-section split ring uniting thebase and the receptacle, means on the ends of the split ring to contactthe ring, unbreakable means shielding the contracting means from access,and key-operated means locking the shielding means to the split ring.

2. The combination according to claim 1 in which the key-operated meansalso locks the split ring from openmg.

3. The combination according to claim 1 in which the key-operatedlocking means is substantially wholly enclosed in the shielding means.

4. The combination according to claim 1 in which there are lugs on theends of the split ring, screw means drawing the lugs toward each other,and the shielding means is a yoke enclosing the lugs and the screw meanspreventing access thereto.

5. The combination according to claim 4 in which the key-operatedlocking means locks the yoke to the lugs.

6. The combination according to claim 4 in which U- section portions ofthe yoke receive parts of the split ring adjacent the lugs, and there isa shoulder within each U-section portion formed by an integral cross-barspaced inward from the end of such U-section portion.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No. 5867822Dated Feb. 25, 1975 Inventor(s) Lynn H. Morse & Anker J. Nielsen, Jr.

It is certified that error appears in the above-identified patent andthat said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

In the Abstract, Line 5, insert "a" before "glass bowl Column 2, Line 2,cancel the "s" on "flanges" Line '7, cancel the second (repetitive) "andaxially". Line l7, insert "the" after "forming" and insert "speeds"after "27".

Line 25, after "unbreakable" insert "yoke" 0 Line 50, after "other"insert prying tool which might be driven in between the split ring"Claim 1, Line 4, replace "contact by "contract"- Claim 4, Line 4, atend. insert "and" Signed and sealed this 6th day of May 1975.

(SEAL) Attest:

C. MARSHALL DANN Commissioner of Patents and Trademarks RUTH C. MASONAttesting Officer Disclaimer 3,867,822.-Lynn H. Morse, Venice, Fla. andAnker J. Nielsen, Jr., Holden, Mass. LOCKING MEANS FOR ELECTRIC METERS.Patent dated Feb.

25, 1975. Disclaimer filed Aug. 26, 1982, by the assignee, Omco, Inc.Hereby enters this disclaimer to all claims of said patent. [OfficialGazette October 26, 1982.]

1. Locking means for electric meters having in combination a base, areceptacle holding the meter works, a U-section split ring uniting thebase and the receptacle, means on the ends of the split ring to contactthe ring, unbreakable means shielding the contracting means from access,and key-operated means locking the shielding means to the split ring. 2.The combination according to claim 1 in which the key-operated meansalso locks the split ring from opening.
 3. The combination according toclaim 1 in which the key-operated locking means is substantially whollyenclosed in the shielding means.
 4. The combination according to claim 1in which there are lugs on the ends of the split ring, screw meansdrawing the lugs toward each other, and the shielding means is a yokeenclosing the lugs and the screw means preventing access thereto.
 5. Thecombination according to claim 4 in which the key-operated locking meanslocks the yoke to the lugs.
 6. The combination according to claim 4 inwhich U-section portions of the yoke receive parts of the split ringadjacent the lugs, and there is a shoulder within each U-section portionformed by an integral cross-bar spaced inward from the end of suchU-section portion.